Tunes

Take me on a trip upon your magic swirling ship, My senses have been stripped
My hands can’t feel to grip, My toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wandering …

Bob Dylan from Mr. Tambourine Man

Aside from the experience of nature and capturing it in words and images, making music has brought me immense fulfillment for most of my life. As my wife will attest, my guitar is my constant companion. I like to say that if my house were on fire, I would grab my guitar before anything else – except of course, for my loved ones.

My greatest guitar moment came when I gave an impromptu concert during our 2018 rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. After dinner on day 4, as the sun was dropping below the canyon walls, our trip leader, Wiley, pulled out a mini Martin 6-string from a watertight compartment and asked if anyone wanted to play. I did want to, but it’s my nature to be reluctant in these situations. My son Alex, to his credit, piped up that his dad could play and sing and would be happy to oblige. Fortunately, I had some picks in my wallet and Wiley had a capo with him.

Well, it was magical. I quickly lost my inhibition as I sat there playing in the dark, unable to see if anyone was actually out there. Alex and another rafter shined their smart phone flashlights on me so I could see the fretboard. As my shadow loomed behind me on a cliff a hundred feet above, I played for about two hours getting lost in what, for me, had become a spiritual experience.

The next day, I awoke with some anxiety about whether I had subjected the other rafters to an unwelcome performance. My fear was quickly allayed when many of them, as well as the crew, asked me what was on my playlist for that night.

Having thought about it further, here would be my ideal playlist of 20 such tunes that evoke in me that rambling spirit and visions of open road, spaces, and sky. Yep, I’m a ’60s & ’70s guy. Some things will never change,

1. Blue Sky ………………………….. Allman Brothers (Eat a Peach, 1972)
2. Born to be Wild …………………. Steppenwolf (Steppenwolf, 1968)
3. Born to Run … …………………… Bruce Springsteen (Born to Run, 1975)
4. Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright … Bob Dylan (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, 1963)
5. Going Mobile … …………………..The Who (Who’s Next, 1971)
6. Going to Mexico …………………. Steve Miller (Number 5, 1970)
7. Homeward Bound ……………….. Simon & Garfunkel (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, 1966)
8. Key to the Highway ……………… Eric Clapton & B.B. King (Riding With The King, 2000)
9. Mama Tried………………………… Grateful Dead (Grateful Dead – Skull and Roses, 1971)
10. Me and Bobby McGee …………….. Janis Joplin (Pearl, 1971)
11. New York State of Mind …………. Billy Joel (Turnstiles, 1976)
12. Out in the Woods ………………… Leon Russell (Carney, 1972)
13. Peaceful Easy Feeling …………… Eagles (Eagles, 1972)
14. Ramble On ………………………… Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
15. Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay ..,. Otis Redding (The Dock of the Bay, 1968)
16. Speedway At Nazareth ………….. Mark Knopfler (Sailing to Philadelphia, 2000)
17. The Road and the Sky …………… Jackson Browne (Late for the Sky, 1974)
18. The Weight ………………………… The Band (Music from Big Pink, 1968)
19. Walking Man ………………………. James Taylor (Walking Man, 1974)
20. Willin’ ……………………………….. Little Feat (Little Feat, 1971)